Blog

by Garet Munger and Andrea Watts

Green Lake is the beloved lake in the heart of Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood that people from all over the city come to visit. On any given day, you can find runners running laps along its outer path, families with strollers, and fisherman fishing from the lake’s edge. Unfortunately, blackberry and English ivy have invaded the shoreline habitat around the lake. Green Lake Stewards is a small but growing group of volunteers who are dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the natural areas around the lake by removing invasive plants where they are coming to dominate the shoreline habitat. Our intention is that our work to control the non-native plants will help to give native plants a chance at the lake.

We work in partnership with the Seattle Parks and Green Seattle Partnership, and since July 2015, we have hosted monthly work parties to remove the invasive plant species, such as Himalayan and evergreen blackberry and English ivy, from around the lake. Removing these invasive plants provides more growing space for native plants and creates a healthier ecosystem. In November of 2016, we planted 150 native shrubs and trees along the west side of the lake north of the small craft center. If you are interested in learning more about Green Lake Stewards, or being notified of future work parties, visit our web site at greenlakestewards.org. We are looking to grow our volunteer group, and our website, and we would appreciate your help!

Our next work party will February 11.  After February, work parties will be regularly scheduled on the second Saturday of each month.  Check the web site for time and place.

Contact Garet Munger at garetpeter@comcast.net with questions or to volunteer.

Room opens for socializing and conversation at 6:45 PM

• Introductions

• Review of projects* recommended to Parks Department in 2016 for Green Lake Park

• Prioritizing projects for FOGL’s action in 2017

• Conversations on current Green Lake concerns: Parks District budget, Community Center plans and Evans Pool updates, etc.

• Treasurer’s Report and Webmasters Report

• We need a President, Vice-President, and Treasurer

• Adjourn

*The To Do List was drawn up by the Friends of Green Lake and submitted to Seattle Parks and Recreation Department in July.  It includes 24 items such as Improving Path Safety, Remodeling West Beach Changing Rooms, and Removing Trees in Shoreline Wall.  For the complete list visit http://friendsofgreenlake.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016-July-To-Do-List.pdf

Next FOGL meeting will be April 25th. (We are meeting quarterly, or as needed, in 2017.)

Thanks to the Hearthstone for hosting our meeting.

Friends of Green Lake (FOGL) is a non-profit group in Seattle, Washington, whose mission is to ensure a healthy Green Lake for wildlife and recreation, for today and tomorrow.

Secchi Depth: 4.2 m / 13.8 ft
Water Temp: 5.0 C / 42.1 F

The lake remains ~6 inches above desired winter levels. Parks is checking the function of the Meridian Outlet to determine the cause.

Room opens for socializing and conversation at 6:45 PM

• Introductions
• Karen Schurr
  • Election of Officers
• Richard Fleming
  • To-Do List for Green Lake Park Revisited*
• Richard Fleming
  • The Future of FOGL
• Ellen Hewitt
  • Webmaster’s Report
• Gayle Garman
  • Treasurer’s Report
• Next Meeting – January 24, 2017.
• Adjourn

(The To Do List was drawn up by the Friends of Green Lake and submitted to Seattle Parks and Recreation Department in July.  It includes 24 items such as Improving Path Safety, Remodeling West Beach Changing Rooms, and Removing Trees in Shoreline Wall.  For the complete list visit http://friendsofgreenlake.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2016-July-To-Do-List.pdf )

Thanks to the Hearthstone for hosting our meeting.

Friends of Green Lake (FOGL) is a non-profit group in Seattle, Washington, whose mission is to ensure a healthy Green Lake for wildlife and recreation, for today and tomorrow.

The Friends of Green Lake is canceling its meeting scheduled for Tuesday October 25th.

The election of FOGL officers has been postponed to the November meeting. All officers are up for reelection: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary. We need some fresh candidates to determine the activities that FOGL should be conducting and to carry on good stewardship for Green Lake. Please contact Friends of Green Lake if you are interested in becoming an officer.

FOGL’s November meeting will be on Tuesday, November 22, at 7 p.m. in the Hearthstone Board Room. There will be a report on the new Densmore Drain structure (in the lake near the wading pool), the summer’s water levels, and discussion of FOGL’s Green Lake Park To-do List that was submitted to the Parks Department.

See you then!

As always, thanks to the Hearthstone for hosting our meetings.

Room opens for socializing and conversation at 6:45 PM

• Introductions
• Rachael Gravon
  • Cyanobacteria at Green lake and other Lowland  King County Lakes, presence and management
• Richard Fleming
  • Green Lake To Do List
  • Densmore Inlet Refit
  • Nominations for Officers – October Elections
• Ellen Hewitt
  • Webmaster’s Report
• Gayle Garman
  • Treasurer’s Report
• Next Meeting – October 25, 2016. –  Elect New Officers
• Adjourn

Thanks to the Hearthstone for hosting our meeting.

Friends of Green Lake (FOGL) is a non-profit group in Seattle, Washington, whose mission is to ensure a healthy Green Lake for wildlife and recreation, for today and tomorrow.

At the Friends of Green Lake (FOGL) meeting on January 26, 2016, FOGL was joined by several staff from the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation (SDPR). We had a long and productive discussion about Green Lake Park and its various assets, issues and problems. At the conclusion of the meeting it was suggested by SDPR that FOGL prepare a list of items we felt should be addressed in the Park.

We discussed this topic at the next two FOGL meetings, after suggesting that member bring a list of items needing attention. At the May meeting we went through the suggested items and possible solutions/actions. At the June meeting a draft of the “To Do” List was presented and subjected to an extensive discussion. The July 20th document is the product of all of this activity.

The To Do List identifies issues or problems, provides location information if appropriate, and suggests possible corrective measures. Where possible, one or two photographs are included to illustrate the issue/problem, as shown above. The list was kept to less than 20 issues that we felt could reasonably be done in the near future. We did not prioritize the items.

FOGL hopes that the “To Do” List will stimulate discussions about the needs of Green Lake Park and we hope to participate in these discussions. We hope other Park users will join in these discussions.